Slowly Melting
947 Words
It was another late night at the office.
The building was almost empty now. Most workers had already gone home hours ago. Only a few lights remained on across the large office floor.
Elena sat alone at her desk reviewing contracts for an upcoming client deal.
Her eyes hurt from staring at documents all day.
Coffee cups surrounded her desk like proof of exhaustion.
Outside, the city glowed quietly through the office windows. Cars moved slowly below while distant headlights stretched across wet roads like lines of gold.
Elena rubbed her forehead tiredly.
Some days work felt endless.
Like no matter how much she finished, something new always waited for her.
Her phone suddenly vibrated beside her laptop.
Elena glanced at the screen.
Julian.
Immediately, something warm moved quietly inside her chest before she could stop it.
Still at work? I’m nearby finishing a supplier meeting. Bringing coffee in 15.
Elena stared at the message for a few seconds.
A small smile almost appeared on her face.
She quickly pushed it away.
A part of her knew she should say no.
She knew getting comfortable with him was dangerous.
Because comfort leads to attachment.
And attachment leads to pain.
At least that was what Marcus had taught her.
But another part of her…
The softer part.
The tired lonely part.
Wanted him there.
Slowly, Elena typed back.
Only if it’s the Kenyan one.
A few seconds later, his reply came.
Already ordered.
Without realizing it, Elena smiled properly at her phone.
Ten minutes later, she heard soft footsteps outside her office.
Then a gentle knock.
Julian stepped inside holding two coffee cups.
The rich smell of coffee filled the room immediately.
“You look exhausted,” he said softly.
Elena laughed weakly.
“I feel exhausted.”
Julian placed one cup carefully beside her laptop.
“Kenyan roast,” he said. “Extra strong. Just how you like it.”
Elena looked at the coffee quietly for a moment.
The fact that he remembered small things about her still affected her more than she wanted to admit.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Julian simply nodded and sat across from her naturally, like he belonged there.
No awkwardness.
No pressure.
Just quiet comfort.
For the next hour, they worked side by side.
Elena explained the company’s sales plans while Julian shared ideas from his experience abroad working with coffee suppliers.
Sometimes they argued softly over business ideas.
Sometimes they laughed.
Sometimes silence filled the room comfortably while both focused on work.
And strangely…
Elena enjoyed it.
She enjoyed not feeling lonely for once.
At some point, while both reached for documents under the table, Julian’s knee brushed lightly against hers.
The touch lasted only one second.
Very small.
Very accidental.
But Elena felt it immediately.
A quiet electric feeling moved through her chest.
Neither of them spoke about it.
But somehow the room suddenly felt warmer.
Heavier.
Elena quickly focused back on her laptop, pretending nothing happened.
Still, her heartbeat refused to calm down properly.
After some time, Julian finally stood up slowly.
“I should let you finish before your company starts charging me rent for staying here,” he joked softly.
Elena laughed quietly.
A real laugh.
The kind she barely recognized anymore.
Julian noticed.
Of course he noticed.
He always noticed.
As he reached the office door, he suddenly paused.
Then he turned back toward her.
“You laughed today,” he said softly.
Elena looked confused.
Julian smiled faintly.
“A real laugh,” he continued. “Three times actually.”
Elena stared at him speechlessly.
“I’m keeping count.”
The words were simple.
Light.
But they touched something deep inside her chest.
Before she could even respond properly, Julian gave her one last small smile and walked away.
A few seconds later, the office became quiet again.
Elena slowly walked to the door and closed it gently.
Then she leaned against it heavily.
Her eyes suddenly burned with emotion.
Because the comfort Julian gave her felt terrifying.
The safety she felt around him scared her more than pain sometimes.
Little by little, the ice around her heart was melting.
And she did not know how to stop it anymore.
She had started looking forward to his messages.
Looking forward to his presence.
Looking forward to hearing his voice after stressful days.
She noticed the small things now.
The way he remembered exactly how she liked her coffee.
The way he listened carefully whenever she spoke.
The way he never made her feel rushed or too much.
And that scared her deeply.
Because once upon a time, Marcus also made her feel special.
Before he destroyed her.
Elena slowly walked toward the office window and stared out at the city lights below.
Ten years.
The age difference sat heavily inside her chest again.
People would judge them.
Her family would talk.
Sofia trusted both of them.
And somewhere deep inside Elena, Marcus’s cruel words still lived like poison inside her blood.
Women your age become desperate.
Elena closed her eyes painfully.
“I can’t do this again,” she whispered softly into the empty office.
Her voice sounded small.
Broken.
Afraid.
Later that night, she finally returned home exhausted.
The apartment greeted her with its usual silence.
Elena changed clothes slowly and lay down on her bed with her phone beside her.
She told herself to stop thinking about Julian.
To stop getting attached.
To protect herself before it became too late.
But the next morning, her phone vibrated again.
Hope the contracts went well. Proud of you.
Elena stared at the message quietly.
Then before she could stop herself…
She smiled.
- Writer
